THE MAGAZINE OF UC DAVIS COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER VOL 23 NO 1 / WINTER 2021 Colorectal cancer under 50 PAGE 6 Pancreatic cancer on the rise PAGE 10 Equalizing health PAGE 11 Learning from dogs fighting cancer PAGE 24 Cancer care in the era of COVID-19 PAGE 20 Dear Reader, BREAKING BARRIERS TO BEAT CANCER℠ Cancer does not respect pandemics. Synthesis is published Since the beginning of the current COVID-19 crisis, our UC Davis twice each year by the UC Davis Comprehensive Comprehensive Cancer Center has kept its doors open, providing Cancer Center. people with cancer the world-class services and care that they need. If you receive multiple Despite the many operational challenges and personal risks, our dedi- copies of this publication, cated team of physicians, providers, nurses and staff have come in please share them. To add every single day to ensure that our patients receive uninterrupted care. your name to the mailing list or change your address, In this issue of Synthesis, you will find inspiring stories of Northern please call 916-734-9450. Californians who didn’t let fear of the virus stop them from going to their EXECUTIVE EDITOR doctor. Their decision to continue pursuing cancer care in the face of a pandemic has Primo “Lucky” Lara, Jr., M.D. been inspiring to many and is very likely to positively influence their outcome. Director, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center You will also read about lessons learned from COVID-19 in the realm of cancer health EDITORS disparities: that is, how health outcomes are shaped by conditions such as where you Stephanie Winn live, what you eat and drink, and how you make a living. Marie Kennedy Our vulnerable communities in the rural areas of Northern California and the Central GRAPHIC DESIGNER Valley have lower household income, lower health insurance rates, and less education Barbara Hennelly than other areas of the state. And, they are exposed to considerable amounts of PHOTOGRAPHER pesticides, herbicides and toxic air contaminants. Wayne Tilcock What role do environmental exposures play in our cancer rates? You’ll find out in this WRITERS issue how we are confronting that critical question, while also doing what we can to stop Stephanie Winn Marie Kennedy cancer before it starts, with specific outreach to Latino, Native American and African Josh Baxt American communities who carry most of the regional cancer burden. Nora Mealy Also, in this issue of Synthesis, we showcase how we are tackling the toughest of The University of California does not discriminate on the basis of cancers, such as pancreatic cancer, which just this year took the lives of admired race, color, national origin, religion, Americans Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Lewis and Alex Trebek. Our scientists and doctors sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran’s status, medical are tirelessly developing new strategies to diagnose and treat pancreatic cancer with condition, ancestry or marital status. innovative new technologies found only at UC Davis. The University of California is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Call 530-752-2071 You will learn, too, about our focused efforts to cure kids of cancer. Dedicated donors for more information. Speech or have created a fund to support a new position to help families manage the psychosocial hearing-impaired persons may call 530-752-7320 (TDD). issues facing them when their child is diagnosed with cancer. We are also excited about our new comparative oncology training program through Scan this code to which we are joining forces with the world’s No. 1 ranked UC Davis School of Veterinary learn more about Medicine to try to save the lives of dogs with cancer while supporting development the UC Davis Comprehensive of new therapies for both dogs and humans. Cancer Center and its leadership. Thank you for your continued commitment to the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer 16 Center. We could not continue what we are doing without your tireless support. Thank you and stay safe! Primo “Lucky” Lara, Jr., M.D. DIRECTOR, UC DAVIS COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER B SYNTHESIS cancer.ucdavis.edu 20 inTHE MAGAZINE this OF UC DAVIS COMPREHENSIVE issue CANCER CENTER VOL 23 NO 1 / WINTER 2021 ADVANCING SCIENCE 9 CHADWICK BOSEMAN 2 Female researchers make Actor’s death reflects a rise in significant findings in the most colorectal cancer rates among common cancer impacting women young adults 10 PANCREATIC CANCER AWARDS SPOTLIGHT ON THE RISE 4 Meet five cancer researchers Deaths of three icons are furthering tools and therapies in reminders of tragic toll the fight against deadly cancers. OUTREACH PEOPLE FOCUS 11 EQUALIZING HEALTH 6 THREE JOURNEYS Striving to reduce disparities 6 Colorectal cancer under 50 among vulnerable groups FIRST STEPS BENEFACTORS 24 WE HAVE A LOT TO 14 CANDID CONVERSATION LEARN FROM DOGS Q&A with UC Davis Health FIGHTING CANCER CEO David Lubarsky 16 Unique UC Davis partnership 16 MEET SUPER FRITZ benefits both human and canine Special boy inspires donors to fund cancer patients new resource specialist position for 25 JOSIE THE DOG families facing pediatric cancer Hunting for a reprieve from cancer COVER STORY 20 CANCER CARE IN THE ERA OF COVID-19 On a mission to get patients the care they need in spite of COVID-19 WINTER 2021 1 ADVANCING SCIENCE Two female UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers conducted new studies that examined the risk factors and the right treatment for breast cancer, integrating race and ethnicity considerations into their work. The studies were published in recent issues of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Study #1: Is being overweight or having dense breasts a breasts accounted for a large proportion of breast cancers risk factor for breast cancer, regardless of race or ethnicity? in white, Black, Hispanic and Asian women despite large UC Davis cancer researcher Diana Miglioretti and epidemiolo- differences in the prevalence of these risk factors across gist Michael Bissell collaborated on a study for the U.S. Breast these racial/ethnic groups: Cancer Surveillance Consortium. Dense breasts are an important risk factor for breast cancer The study was the first to directly investigate and report in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women of all important racial/ethnic differences regarding the risk of breast races/ethnicities examined, with breast density playing a larger role in premenopausal women. A high BMI is a strong risk factor for breast Female researchers make cancer among postmenopausal women, especially in Black women. Across all racial/ significant findings in the ethnic groups examined, dense breasts were a moderate-to-strong risk factor. In premeno- prevention and treatment pausal women, a high BMI was not significantly tied to future breast cancer risk except for a small percentage of white women. However, of the most common in postmenopausal women, a high BMI was a strong risk factor for all races examined. cancer impacting women The findings showed that if all overweight/ obese postmenopausal women achieved a cancer associated with body mass index (BMI) and breast normal BMI, breast cancer incidence could be reduced by density among premenopausal and postmenopausal white, 12%–15% in white, Asian and Hispanic women, and 28% in Black, Hispanic and Asian women. BMI reflects body weight Black women. adjusted for height. Women with a BMI over 25 are considered Sustained weight loss in women over 50 has been shown above normal and overweight. to reduce breast cancer risk. In addition, changes in lifestyle, The research appeared in the October 2020 issue of such as increasing exercise, reducing alcohol consumption Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention and found and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can also help in that a BMI in the overweight or obese range and dense maintaining a healthy body weight. Diana Miglioretti, Candice Sauder, cancer researcher surgical oncologist 2 SYNTHESIS Welcome Researchers Study #2: Breast cancer survival rates after The UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center is having cancer as an adolescent or young adult increasing diversity in its researcher ranks as it A troubling new discovery has Candice Sauder, reduces health disparities. Two female scientists a surgical oncologist at the UC Davis Comprehensive with experience investigating social determinants Cancer Center, rethinking the best approach to of health have joined the research team. treating breast cancer in premenopausal women who had cancer as a child or young person and were treated with radiation. Laura Fejerman – Co-director of LUCHA Initiative and A recent study conducted by Sauder and co-director of the Women’s Cancer Care Program published in the September 2020 issue of Cancer Laura Fejerman focuses research on genetic and Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention shows that non-genetic factors contributing to breast cancer survival rates among premenopausal women with risk and prognosis in Latinas. Her past work breast cancer were significantly worse if they had established a relationship between genetic been treated with radiation for a prior cancer when ancestry and breast cancer risk, in which U.S. they were young. and Mexican Latinas with more European ances- In fact, the women with breast cancer who had tors were at increased risk of breast cancer as a prior cancer and were treated with radiation had compared to women with more Indigenous American ancestors. roughly twice the risk of breast cancer-specific death Fejerman earned her doctorate in biological anthropology compared to similar-aged breast cancer patients who and master’s in human biology at the University of Oxford, had no previous cancer diagnosis. England. She completed her undergraduate degree in social Sauder and her colleagues turned to the California anthropology at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Cancer Registry to analyze data from women ages Originally from Buenos Aires, Fejerman left Argentina in 12 to 50 diagnosed with primary or second primary 1998 to study in England.